


Safe With You

by morrigan (goreslvt)



Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Bliss, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24290884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goreslvt/pseuds/morrigan
Summary: Their agreement was unspoken; when he needed her, all he had to do was show up.
Relationships: Tora/Poppy
Comments: 16
Kudos: 200





	Safe With You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sweetberries29](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetberries29/gifts).



> so i wrote this because sweetberries29 comment made my heart implode and i felt the need to write them some tooth rotting fluff
> 
> songs on repeat: mess is mine - vance joy  
> like real people do - hozier

Poppy sipped her tea, watching the rain trickle down the glass door. She always loved summer storms, the way they ravaged the earth, washing away all the filth and easing small buds to blossom. Lightning cracked in the distance, lighting up the evening sky, illuminating the dimly lit living room. The warm voice of Hozier poured through the speakers of her laptop and she sang along quietly. A knock sounded, making her nearly spill her drink. She moved cautiously, setting her mug down and peering through the peephole. The door was flung open and Poppy stood in the doorway, staring at the man before her. Tora was soaked, his clothes clinging to his skin as he shivered nearly imperceptibly. She ushered him inside and he stood in the middle of the living room, staring blankly at the couch. She bolted the lock, snaking his phone and keys from his left hand, setting them on the entry table. 

“Tora, are you okay?” She asked, reaching for his hands. A grimace contorted his face and she released him, realizing his knuckles were torn open and weeping. The more she studied him, the sicker she felt to her stomach. Blood splatter coated his face and a large portion of his torso. The tear in his jeans was sticky with blood and had darkened the fabric to near black. 

“Let’s get your cleaned up, okay?” She guided him slowly to the bathroom, watching his face for any change. She had never seen him like this, his trailing, empty gaze, and deathly silent. 

Normally, he was a raging bull trapped in a cage, bucking and snorting to release pent up energy after a long night. He would come barreling through her door, his clothes trailing him as he stalked to the bedroom, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He would wake her softly before pouncing on her, silently begging for her to give him everything he lacked in that moment. His hands would wind their way through her hair and his mouth would seek hers, their bodies intertwining as he burned off whatever it was that plagued him. He would fight off any haunting visions that bounced behind his eyes, filling himself full of her to drown them away. Their agreement was unspoken; when he needed her, all he had to do was show up. There had been plenty of nights she was awoken in the wee hours of the night by a pounding at her door, greeted by Tora. He had always seemed like a different person on those nights; a hurricane that ravished her and stole her breath away before coating her with lovesick kisses and holding her so softly, as if she were made of porcelain. He was greedy, his hands claiming all that they touched, his mouth following. This was different. He was distant and his eyes were still dark, the violence not having dissipated from his system yet.

“Tora, are you hurt anywhere other than your hands?” She searched him, her small hands running over his body. He winced as they brushed his ribs and her gut twisted. “I’m going to take your clothes off so I can wash them, okay?” She always made it a point to talk him through what she did, knowing his mind was still surging. She had made the mistake once, reaching around his shirt to pull it off only to wind up pinned to the floor. Tora simply held his arms up, allowing the woman to strip him. The fabric peeled away from him like a second skin, taking with it a large portion of the red coloring that had tainted it. A large, angry burgundy bruise wrapped across his ribs, Tora winced as he moved to help her remove his shirt. She reached behind him, feeling for the gun that was tucked in his waistband. The metal was warm and heavy in her hands. She did as Tora had taught her, dropping the magazine and pulling the slide back, shaking the chambered bullet onto the counter. She wrapped it in a towel, pushing the bundle off to the side. Next came his jeans, a soft sucking sound echoing off the linoleum as she wrestled to get them off. Once successful, she took his socks, placing the knife that had clattered to the floor onto the counter beside the gun. She repeated the motion from before, her hands feeling for any disturbances and eyes scanning him from top to bottom, landing on a gash on his thigh. The skin around it was angry and red. She steadied herself, refusing to cry when he needed her. She tossed his wet clothes into the hamper, pulling a fresh set of sweats and a tank top from beneath the bathroom counter. She pushed him lightly into the shower, sliding the door shut behind him. 

“Let me know if you need anything, Tora. I’m just going to be in the living room okay?” She made to leave but the sound of it sliding back open stopped her. His eyes pleaded with her, begging her not to abandon him. She smiled sweetly at him, pulling herself onto the counter top, tucking her legs underneath her. Content, Tora closed the shower back up and she watched through the frosted glass as he stood, unmoving in the stream. She stripped quickly, stepping into the shower behind him, her hands finding the hot skin of his back, fingertips running across it. Tora leaned into her touch and she turned him so that he faced her and she finally saw it. Tears poured down his cheeks and his face was twisted up in agony. 

“Hey, shhh it’s okay. Can you tell me what’s wrong?” She soothed, dragging a washcloth across his face, removing the remaining blood. He shook his head and she understood. He wouldn’t talk about it until he was ready and she wouldn’t pry when he did; another unspoken agreement among them. She washed his body gently, careful not to agitate his shredded knuckles, his bruised ribs or the wound on his leg. He sank to the floor, sitting between her legs as she sat on the lip of the tub, massaging his head gently, the suds turning to a pale pink. She rinsed his head carefully, working deliberately so as to keep the soap from leaking into his eyes. Once she was satisfied that his hair was thoroughly cleaned, they exited, towelling off and dressing themselves separately. She stopped Tora as he moved to tug on his sweats, pulling the first aid kit out. 

“This is gonna sting a bit, okay?” She cautioned, knowing in her mind that Tora was well aware. This hadn’t been the first time she had tended to his wounds after some unknown battle was fought. She blotted away the blood with a square of gause that had been dampened with rubbing alcohol. He hissed but otherwise made no noise or movement. She wrapped the bandage around his leg, moving up to his hands. She repeated her warning and the motions.

They laid in bed, Poppy littering his bandaged hands with kisses. Tora’s head rested on her chest and she ran her fingers through her hair, softly humming to herself as she did so. 

“I’m sorry.” He finally spoke, his voice a strained whisper. She shushed him, pressing a kiss to his head. “Ya deserve better than me. I’m a mess, kid.” He continued, despite her reassurance. 

“You’re not a mess, Tora. You’re a person who struggles and needs someone to hold them and love them as they sort themselves out.” Her heart pulled as the word love fell from her lips. She loved him, she had known for a while. Something warm pooled on her chest and she felt Tora shudder once more in her arms. His body shook as quiet sobs wracked his body. She found solace in the fact that he trusted her enough to do this, to be emotionally vulnerable. The first time he had cried in front of her was nearly a year ago now, he had had a particularly rough night and stood at her door, tears already spilling from his eyes. She had pulled him into her arms, holding him for hours until he had finally calmed. Returning to the moment at hand, she placed little kisses across his face. 

“I would do this for eternity if it meant you would feel safe coming home.” She uttered against his scalp. He shook harder, his arms pulling her taut against his chest. 

“I don’t deserve you.” He repeated, his voice trembling as he spoke. She knew there was no fighting this, especially not when he was so emotionally drained. 

“Close your eyes, get some rest. I’m not going anywhere, sweet man.” With that, he relaxed and they both tumbled into the sweet embrace of sleep. She dreamed of the night they had stood on her balcony, his large hand encasing hers and the softness of his touch as he stared at her. 

She woke before him, sunlight filtering through the blinds, basking them in the warmth of it. She untangled herself from his arms, sneaking into the kitchen to start breakfast. She poured herself another cup of tea, staring at the forgotten cup from last evening. She worked quietly, whisking up eggs and frying bacon, glancing out past the balcony at the new day. The storm had passed and the earth glittered brilliantly, reveling in the promise of tomorrow. She worked diligently, plating up the food and pouring a tall glass of strawberry juice. She carried the dishes to her room, placing them on her night stand before judging Tora awake. She hated waking him up but knew he needed to eat. He stirred, his eyes slowly opening, taking in the sight of the woman before him. He sat up and she handed the plate to him, his eyes going wide. He shoveled the food in his mouth as she watched, chewing on a piece of toast. 

“You feeling better?” She questioned, watching as he polished off the remainder of his towering plate. He grunted, his mouth full and a smile floating on his lips. She loved his smile and the small dimples that formed when he laughed and the way his eyes lit up when he joked with her. 

“Whatcha smiling’ at kid?” He asked, pulling the glass of juice from his lips. 

“You.” She admitted, her heart racing. She felt suddenly brave, the words she longed to say lingering at the top of her tongue. He shook his head, a blush creeping across his cheeks. 

“Ya know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were in love with me with the way ya lookin’ at me.” He taunted. Her gaze held his and she felt her pulse surge. 

“And if I do?” Her question took him by surprise.

“Don’t mess with me, Bobby.” He replied, his tone becoming solemn, never moving his eyes from her face. Her hands trembled and she felt the words pass her lips, foreign to her even. 

“I love you, Tora.” He stared at her, eyes wide in disbelief. Everything happened for her in slow motion. Tora tossed the dishes aside and leapt forward, capturing her face in his hands, his lips seeking hers. They met and she felt this kiss so full of wanting, of hope, of honest love. She met him with the same force, her hands clutching his shirt, pulling him harder against her. This kiss was unlike any other they had shared. They were usually full of need and desperation to fall into one another and forget the world around them, to soothe the wounds that marked his heart. She melted into him, relishing in the warm buzzing that began to fill her body. 

“Say it again.” He begged, whispering against her lips. She pulled away, locking on his face.

“I love you.” There was the smile she had dreamt about for so many nights. He kissed her again, trying his damnedest to drink every last bit of her up. 

“I love you too, Bobby.” She chuckled at the nickname and replayed the sound of his voice saying those 5 sweet words over and over. 

The pair sat there, exchanging kisses and ‘I love you’s’ for an hour, giggling like school children telling secrets every time they heard the words. She could feel Tora returning to his body, his spirit cleansed of any anger, sadness, or guilt even if only momentarily. He tickled her, his laugh matching hers. Nothing existed except for them and the promise of tomorrow. Nothing could hurt them here, they were both sure of that. 


End file.
